Agreed its usually nothing major. Conductor plates and electrical connector plugs in the auto trans and things like crank angle sensors. Both relatively easy jobs and once sorted you have a very reliable car in the majority of cases.
mals69,
Dec 15, 5:47am
It says more about them than you !
kazbanz,
Dec 15, 6:52am
hey carkitter I have to say something. Who gives a fat rats petutie what anyone else thinks of your car? Its what YOU think of it that matters. That was hammered home to me yesterday arvo when I got a snide comment about our $500 96 Honda odyssey. I love the old beast because it does everything we need it to do and doesn't care if its got rubber marks from tyres or muddy boot marks from kids.
grangies,
Dec 15, 7:10am
Similar here with out 1992 Isuzu Bighorn that we've owned for 12 years and counting. I can load it full of paint and tow my trailer to a boat yard, take our family of 7 on holiday, collect a caravan to work on, access firewood in a paddock, fit enough groceries for 7 people for an entire month etc etc.
It's old and rough, but goes and goes.
My mother has also owned a 96 Odyssey for the past ten years that fits all her grand children, and she want's to keep that for as long as it's still road worthy.
next-to-normal,
Dec 15, 7:25am
when i brought my w201 19D, i took it in for a wheel alignment,after i had just polished it,and when i pick it up,it had a few nazi symbols and other scratches, on it,this was in whitianga ,then i went to tairua to get new brake and power steering fluids flushed and a couple of tyres,i complain to the mechanic there about what happened at the other place,when i pick my car up, there was this horrible paint stripper blotches on roof bonnet and boot,i decided then and then i will start buying more tools and do everything myself,i dread having to take my car into a shop for anything,as there appears to be a hatred to these cars,
richardmayes,
Dec 15, 7:32am
Just make sure your ACTIONS on the roads are squeaky clean, and then you can hold your head up high knowing that these people are just dicks and you're fine.
(Of course, if you drive right up people's taillights, pass whole lines of traffic at 150km/h in unsuitable places, push your way into merging lanes out of turn or invite yourself into the front of long queues, then people will hate you no matter what you are driving. but doing all that in a nice car will only exacerbate the reaction.
Now, I am not saying that that sort of thing is what I assume you DO do, but it is something to think about!)
There's a couple in Wellington who run an expensive furniture shop that was started and built up a long time ago by Daddy. The current proprietors drive a 500SL (number plate NVMYSL - "envy my SL") and an Audi Q7 (number plate NVMYQ7 - envy my Q7")
I imagine theirs must be an oddly disappointed existence, living in that rarefied atmosphere where their day-to-day enjoyment is spoiled because they believe everyone is jealously envying them all of the time. I bet they complain about "tall poppy sydrome" a lot, as people who consider themselves to be tall poppies often do.
Again I am not saying for one moment that you are like these people - but you need to be aware that there are plenty of those people out there, and the ignorant could well be lumping you in with them based solely on the badge on your bonnet.
richardmayes,
Dec 15, 7:36am
This car isn't fast, but it's paid for and it's in front of you.
I need to get that on the back bumper of our 1985 Laser.
poppy62,
Dec 15, 8:20am
And here was I thinking that the reason Commodore, Falcon and big Jap cars re-overtake my Smart Fortwo, was to have a second look at my car.
mm12345,
Dec 15, 9:56am
The only surprise here is that so many people seem to be surprised or offended that others might think the way they do. The marketing of cars based on reinforcing social stereotypes isn't exactly a new thing - selling the dream. Aspirational marketing. Of course they could try marketing cheap hatchbacks by featuring them in ads shot on alpine passes and autobahns, or pulling up outside the opera, driven by James Bond lookalikes wearing Ermenegildo Zegna suits, accompanied by 20YO lightly clad high-maintenance models with feigned post-orgasmic facial expressions, but it's not going to be believable to the target market. Who cares what others think? That's a very fine attitude to have, but I doubt it's ever real. There's billions of dollars a year spent on marketing to convince you that it really does matter, it's very difficult to immunise yourself against that - even if you think you don't care, others do. As for 10YO higher end typically Euro cars, though not on this forum where most people have some enthusiasm for cars and would know what they're looking at, out there amongst the great unwashed I doubt many people would have a clue if it was brand new or an import which cost less than a Daihatsu. And it does say something about the owner to the majority of people - end of story.
tamarillo,
Dec 15, 3:58pm
Always had great service from my Germans.
lookoutas,
Dec 15, 5:13pm
That sounds a bit tall poppy.
vivac,
Dec 15, 6:51pm
This interests me, if I do take the plunge into a merc this is the kind of thing I will need. Where did you get this computer and how much did it set you back? Im assuming it plugs into an OBD port or something?
ignition328,
Dec 16, 12:07am
I got a tonne of weird comments when I took my standard corolla drag racing at meremere. There were people who talked to me who then verbally spat all over the other cars I said I owned when they asked about them telling me they were making "over 170kW at the wheels n/a bro", how they'd wipe the floor with me etc
Best part was watching them laugh like I was the dopey one while they're hardparked in the paddock, being better than me with 170kW sure looked like fun I'll give them that.
oli3,
Dec 16, 12:19am
Its a shame people have that attitude. I remember years ago a friend of the family bought himself an expensive toy of a sports car. He'd had it a few days before he came round to show us. My dad shook his hand and said congratulations, its an awesome car and you've worked hard for it. The guy was stunned, he then told us that we were the first people who had said anything nice, every single other person who knew about the car had made sarcastic, snide comments about it - the guys closest friends and family. Years later my Dad bought himself a new Masserati (sp?) - he keeps it in a garage, loves driving it with my mum, and hardly any of his friends or family know he has it, he can't be arsed with the snide remarks.
richardmayes,
Dec 16, 10:33am
Don't forget that in New Zealand, there's a political / economic theory that says there is a finite pool of money, and anybody who has got more than the average amount ( / "his fair share") of it, therefore must have done it at somebody else's expense.
According to the latest Herald poll, 39.3% of New Zealanders subscribe to this theory (Lab 31.1%, Green 8.2%)
sw20,
Dec 16, 12:02pm
There is a YouTube video that discusses this. The guy is a independent Merc tech. His advice is that they are only worth it if you are going to get your hands dirty. You will soon be sick of them if you run to the main dealer for every CEL .
sw20,
Dec 16, 12:05pm
Fastest car is always parked in the car park.
tgray,
Dec 16, 12:47pm
Why on earth not tell us? The important thing is YOU love it and to hell with everyone else. Tell you what, if you said you just bought a 1993 accord and love driving it, most people here would say good on you. This forum is full of car lovers and most people respect the fact we all love different types. I love Chevy's and am proud to say it, no matter what others think/say. It's a shame if it's got to the point people won't tell us the car they love.
kazbanz,
Dec 16, 1:06pm
Yep I deal with that every day of the week. "ohh you are rich,You can take flash holidays etc etc" Yet NOT one of em is prepared to work 7 days a week to earn those holidays.
lookoutas,
Dec 16, 4:43pm
What really gets up my pipe is when someone craps on someone elses car. I don't care if someone comes on here and dumps on a car that I don't like, I will still be the first to name them Wayne Kerr.
Don't worry OP - enjoy it.
tgray,
Dec 16, 5:15pm
Absolutely. Just sold a car for $110,000 and running around in a Toyota Windom I bought for $1,000 right now. Don't give a damn what people think. Tell you what, this $1,000 Toyota drives real nice and am enjoying it!
lookoutas,
Jun 10, 5:19am
Well look what you stepped out of?
I'm kidding really. I think.
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